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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

AASG Wells Data for the EGS Test Site Planning and Analysis Task

Temperature measurement data obtained from boreholes for the Association of American State Geologists (AASG) geothermal data project. Typically bottomhole temperatures are recorded from log headers, and this information is provided through a borehole temperature observation service for each state. Service includes header records, well logs, temperature measurements, and other information for each borehole. Information presented in Geothermal Prospector was derived from data aggregated from the borehole temperature observations for all states. For each observation, the given well location was recorded and the best available well identifier (name), temperature and depth were chosen. The "Well Name Source," "Temp. Type" and "Depth Type" attributes indicate the field used from the original service. This data was then cleaned and converted to consistent units. The accuracy of the observation's location, name, temperature or depth was note assessed beyond that originally provided by the service. Bottom hole temperature datasets from the AASG were downloaded from repository.usgin.org between May 16 and May 24, 2013. The data were cleaned to remove null and non-real entries, and units were standardized across all datasets. When selecting key attributes, specific criteria were used to determine the best available values. For temperature, corrected temperature was preferred, followed by measured temperature. For depth, depth of measurement was prioritized, with true vertical depth and driller total depth used as alternatives. Well identification was assigned based on the API number when available, followed by the well name, with the observation URI used as a last option.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

“Thought experiments” as dry-runs for “tough experiments”: novel approaches to the hydration behavior of oxyanions

We explore the deconvolution of correlations for the interpretation of the microstructural behavior of aqueous electrolytes according to the neutron diffraction with isotopic substitution (NDIS) approach toward the experimental determination of ion coordination numbers of systems involving oxyanions, in particular, sulfate anions. We discuss the alluded interplay in the title of this presentation, emphasized the expectations, and highlight the significance of tackling the challenging NDIS experiments. Specifically, we focus on the potential occurrence of N$2+\atop{i}$ ...SO$2-\atop{4}$ pair formation, identify its signature, suggest novel ways either for the direct probe of the contact ion pair (CIP) strength and the subsequent correction of its effects on the measured coordination numbers, or for the determination of anion coordination numbers free of CIP contributions through the implementation of null-cation environments. For that purpose we perform simulations of NiSO 4 aqueous solutions at ambient conditions to generate the distribution functions required in the analysis (a) to identify the individual partial contributions to the total neutron-weighted distribution function, (b) to isolate and assess the contribution of N$2+\atop{i}$ ...SO$2-\atop{4}$ pair formation, (c) to test the accuracy of the neutron diffraction with isotope substitution based coordination calculations and X-ray diffraction based assumptions, and (d) to describe the water coordination around both the sulfur and oxygen sites of the sulfate anion. In conclusion, we finally discuss the strength of this interplay on the basis of the inherent molecular simulation ability to provide all pair correlation functions that fully characterize the system microstructure and allows us to “reconstruct” the eventual NDIS output, i.e., to take an atomistic “peek” (e.g., see Figure 1) at the local environment around the isotopically-labeled species before any experiment is ever attempted, and ultimately, to test the accuracy of the “measured” NDIS-based coordination numbers against the actual values by the “direct” counting.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Roadmap on thermodynamics and thermal metamaterials

Thermal metamaterials represent a transformative paradigm in modern physics, synergizing thermodynamic principles with metamaterial engineering to master heat flow at will. As next-generation technologies demand multi-scale thermal control, this field urgently requires systematic frameworks to unify its multidisciplinary advances. Curated through a global collaboration involving over 50 specialists across 25 subdisciplines, this review primarily summarizes two decades of advancements, ranging from theoretical breakthroughs to functional implementations. The review reveals groundbreaking innovations in heat manipulation through the exploration of both classical and non-classical transport regimes, topological thermal control mechanisms, and quantum-informed phonon engineering strategies. By bridging physical insights like non-Hermitian thermal dynamics and valleytronic phonon transport with cutting-edge applications, we demonstrate paradigm-shifting capabilities: environment-adaptive thermal cloaks, AI-optimized metamaterials, and nonlinear thermal circuits enabling heat-based computation. Experimental milestones include 3D thermal null media with reconfigurable invisibility and thermal designs breaking classical conductivity limits. Here, this collaborative effort establishes an indispensable roadmap for physicists, highlighting pathways to quantum thermal management, entropy-controlled energy systems, and topological devices. As thermal metamaterials transition from laboratory marvels to technological cornerstones, this work provides the foundational lexicon and design principles for the coming era of intelligent thermal matter.

heat conduction control↗
DOE OSTI2013

Functional Analyses of Trichoderma reesei LAE1 Reveal Conserved and Contrasting Roles of This Regulator

The putative methyltransferase LaeA is a global regulator that affects the expression of multiple secondary metabolite gene clusters in several fungi, and it can modify heterochromatin structure in Aspergillus nidulans . We have recently shown that the LaeA ortholog of Trichoderma reesei (LAE1), a fungus that is an industrial producer of cellulase and hemicellulase enzymes, regulates the expression of cellulases and polysaccharide hydrolases. To learn more about the function of LAE1 in T. reesei , we analyzied the effect of deletion and overexpression of lae1 on genome-wide gene expression. We discovered that in addition to positively regulating 7 of 17 polyketide or nonribosomal peptide synthases, genes encoding ankyrin-proteins, iron uptake, heterokaryon incompatibility proteins, PTH11-receptors, and oxidases/monoxygenases are major gene categories also regulated by LAE1. chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing with antibodies against histone modifications known to be associated with transcriptionally active (H3K4me2 and -me3) or silent (H3K9me3) chromatin detected 4089 genes bearing one or more of these methylation marks, of which 75 exhibited a correlation between either H3K4me2 or H3K4me3 and regulation by LAE1. Transformation of a laeA -null mutant of A. nidulans with the T. reesei lae1 gene did not rescue sterigmatocystin formation and further impaired sexual development. LAE1 did not interact with A. nidulans VeA in yeast two-hybrid assays, whereas it interacted with the T. reesei VeA ortholog, VEL1. LAE1 was shown to be required for the expression of vel1 , whereas the orthologs of velB and VosA are unaffected by lae1 deletion. Our data show that the biological roles of A. nidulans LaeA and T. reesei LAE1 are much less conserved than hitherto thought. In T. reesei , LAE1 appears predominantly to regulate genes increasing relative fitness in its environment.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Extensions of BLUP Models for Genomic Prediction in Heterogeneous Populations: Application in a Diverse Switchgrass Sample

Genomic prediction is a useful tool to accelerate genetic gain in selection using DNA marker information. However, this technology typically relies on standard prediction procedures, such as genomic BLUP, that are not designed to accommodate population heterogeneity resulting from differences in marker effects across populations. In this study, we assayed different prediction procedures to capture marker-by-population interactions in genomic prediction models. Prediction procedures included genomic BLUP and two kernel-based extensions of genomic BLUP which explicitly accounted for population heterogeneity. To model population heterogeneity, dissemblance between populations was either depicted by a unique coefficient (as previously reported), or a more flexible function of genetic distance between populations (proposed herein). Models under investigation were applied in a diverse switchgrass sample under two validation schemes: whole-sample calibration, where all individuals except selection candidates are included in the calibration set, and cross-population calibration, where the target population is entirely excluded from the calibration set. First, we showed that using fixed effects, from principal components or putative population groups, appeared detrimental to prediction accuracy, especially in cross-population calibration. Then we showed that modelling population heterogeneity by our proposed procedure resulted in highly significant improvements in model fit. In such cases, gains in accuracy were often positive. These results suggest that population heterogeneity may be parsimoniously captured by kernel methods. However, in cases where improvement in model fit by our proposed procedure is null-to-moderate, ignoring heterogeneity should probably be preferred due to the robustness and simplicity of the standard genomic BLUP model.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Selection Signatures Underlying Dramatic Male Inflorescence Transformation During Modern Hybrid Maize Breeding

Inflorescence capacity plays a crucial role in reproductive fitness in plants, and in production of hybrid crops. Maize is a monoecious species bearing separate male and female flowers (tassel and ear, respectively). The switch from open-pollinated populations of maize to hybrid-based breeding schemes in the early 20th century was accompanied by a dramatic reduction in tassel size, and the trend has continued with modern breeding over the recent decades. The goal of this study was to identify selection signatures in genes that may underlie this dramatic transformation. Using a population of 942 diverse inbred maize accessions and a nested association mapping population comprising three 200-line biparental populations, we measured 15 tassel morphological characteristics by manual and image-based methods. Genome-wide association studies identified 242 single nucleotide polymorphisms significantly associated with measured traits. We compared 41 unselected lines from the Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic (BSSS) population to 21 highly selected lines developed by modern commercial breeding programs, and found that tassel size and weight were reduced significantly. We assayed genetic differences between the two groups using three selection statistics: cross population extended haplotype homozogysity, cross-population composite likelihood ratio, and fixation index. All three statistics show evidence of selection at genomic regions associated with tassel morphology relative to genome-wide null distributions. These results support the tremendous effect, both phenotypic and genotypic, that selection has had on maize male inflorescence morphology.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

False Indications of Dose-Response Nonlinearity in Large Epidemiologic Cancer Radiation Cohort Studies; A Simulation Exercise

This study explores the likely prevalence of false indications of dose-response nonlinearity in large epidemiologic cancer radiation cohort studies (A-bomb survivors, INWORKS, Techa River). Reasons: Increasing numbers of tests of nonlinearity are being made in studies. Hypothesized nonlinear dose-response models have been justified to policy makers by analyses that rely in part on isolated findings that could be statistical fluctuations. After removing dose nonlinearity (linearization) by adjusting person-years of observation at each dose category, indications of nonlinearity, necessarily false, were counted in 5,000 randomized replications of six datasets. The average frequency of any false positive for five indicators of nonlinearity tested against a linear null was roughly 25% in Monte Carlo simulations per study, consistent with binomial calculations, increasing to ~50% within 6 studies assessed. Comparable frequencies were found using Akaike's information criterion (AIC) for model selection or multi-model averaging. False above-zero threshold doses were found more than 50% of the time, averaging to 0.05 Gy, consistent with findings in the 6 studies. Such bias, uncorrected, could distort meta-analyses of multiple studies, because meta-analyses can incorporate high P value findings. AIC-based correction for the extra threshold parameter lowered these false occurrences to 8 to 19%. Given the simulation rates, the possibility of false positives might be noted when isolated findings of nonlinearity are discussed in a regulatory context. When reporting a threshold dose with a P value > 0.05, it would be informative to note the expected high false prevalence rate due to bias.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Search for top-squark pair production in final states with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum using 36 fb − 1 of s = 13 TeV pp collision data with the ATLAS detector

CERN-LHC. The results of a search for the direct pair production of stops, the supersymmetric partner of the top-quark, in final states with one isolated electron or muon, several energetic jets, and missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses data from pp collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1/fb. A wide range of signal scenarios with different mass splittings between the stop, the lightest neutralino and possible intermediate gauginos or higgsinos is considered, including cases where the W-bosons or the top-quarks are off-shell. The analysis also targets the production of dark matter in association with a pair of top-quarks using the same final state. No significant excess over the Standard Model prediction is observed. The null results are used to set exclusion limits at 95% confidence level in several benchmark models, which reach up to a stop mass of 940 GeV. Stringent exclusion limits are also derived for all other considered stop decay scenarios, and upper limits are set on the visible cross-section for processes beyond the Standard Model.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Towards Improving luminosity using optics tuning and data-driven methods

The results of Run 24 experiments at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) for improving luminosity using optics tuning are presented in this study. In the first experiment, MADx matching was used to output magnet strengths corresponding to specific s star movements around Interaction Region 8 (IR8). The corresponding Zero Degree Calorimeter (ZDC) signal was measured in place of luminosity, and Bayesian Optimization aids search of optimal movements. It was found that values retrieved from matching were inaccurate, resulting in negative feedback loops. The second experiment focused on calculating accurate s star movements. The matching method was replaced with a linear sensitivity matrix, directly relating optics to power supply, and its null space was used to fit constraints such as hysteresis effects. At the experiment, beam losses were observed at collimators around boundary of IR8, which were fixed for the third experiment. Dynamic mode decomposition was also introduced to improve quality of turn-by-turn (TBT) data as well as accuracy and consistency of optics measurements at IR8. These improvements will be tested in the experiment of next RHIC run for luminosity optimization.

Accelerator Physics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Twistor space origins of the Newman-Penrose map

Recently, we introduced the “Newman-Penrose map”, a novel correspondence between a certain class of solutions of Einstein’s equations and self-dual solutions of the vacuum Maxwell equations, which we showed was closely related to the classical double copy. Here, we give an alternative definition of this correspondence in terms of quantities that are defined naturally on twistor space, and a shear-free null geodesic congruence on Minkowski space whose twistorial character is articulated by the Kerr theorem. The advantage of this reformulation is that it is purely geometrical in nature, being manifestly invariant under both spacetime diffeomorphisms and projective transformations on twistor space. While the original formulation of the map may be more convenient for most explicit calculations, the twistorial formulation we present here may be of greater theoretical utility.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Adaptive AMG with Coarsening Based on Compatible Weighted Matching

We introduce a new composite adaptive Algebraic Multigrid (composite αAMG) method to solve systems of linear equations without a-priori knowledge or assumption on characteristics of near-null components of the AMG preconditioned problem referred to as algebraic smoothness. Our version of αAMG is a composite solver built through a bootstrap strategy aimed to obtain a desired convergence rate. The coarsening process employed to build each new solver component relies on a pairwise aggregation scheme based on maximum weighted matching in a graph and on principles of compatible relaxation. The latter replaces the commonly used characterization of strength of connection in both the coarse space selection and in the interpolation scheme. The goal is to design a method leading to scalable AMG for a wide class of problems that go beyond the standard elliptic Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). In the present work, we introduce the method and demonstrate its potential when applied to symmetric positive definite linear systems arising from finite element discretization of highly anisotropic elliptic PDEs on structured and unstructured meshes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2013

RELAP5-3D Restart and Backup Verification Testing

Existing testing methodology for RELAP5-3D employs a set of test cases collected over two decades to test a variety of code features and run on a Linux or Windows platform. However, this set has numerous deficiencies in terms of code coverage, detail of comparison, running time, and testing fidelity of RELAP5-3D restart and backup capabilities. The test suite covers less than three quarters of the lines of code in the relap directory and just over half those in the environmental library. Even in terms of code features, many are not covered. Moreover, the test set runs many problems long past the point necessary to test the relevant features. It requires standard problems to run to completion. This is unnecessary for features can be tested in a short-running problem. For example, many trips and controls can be tested in the first few time steps, as can a number of fluid flow options. The testing system is also inaccurate. For the past decade, the diffem script has been the primary tool for checking that printouts from two different RELAP5-3D executables agree. This tool compares two output files to verify that all characters are the same except for those relating to date, time and a few other excluded items. The variable values printed on the output file are accurate to no more than eight decimal places. Therefore, calculations with errors in decimal places beyond those printed remain undetected. Finally, fidelity of restart is not tested except in the PVM sub-suite and backup is not specifically tested at all. When a restart is made from any midway point of the base-case transient, the restart must produce the same values. When a backup condition occurs, the code repeats advancements with the same time step. A perfect backup can be tested by forcing RELAP5 to perform a backup by falsely setting a backup condition flag at a user-specified-time. Comparison of the calculations of that run and those produced by the same input w/o the spurious condition should be identical. Backup testing is more difficult the other kinds of testing described above because it requires additional coding to implement. The testing system constructed and described in this document resolves all of these issues. A matrix of test features and short-running cases that exercise them is presented. A small information file that contains sufficient data to verify calculations to the last decimal place and bit is produced. This testing system is used to test base cases (called null testing) as well as restart and backup cases. The programming that implements these new capabilities is presented.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Inherent secure communications using lattice based waveform design

The wireless communications channel is innately insecure due to the broadcast nature of the electromagnetic medium. Many techniques have been developed and implemented in order to combat insecurities and ensure the privacy of transmitted messages. Traditional methods include encrypting the data via cryptographic methods, hiding the data in the noise floor as in wideband communications, or nulling the signal in the spatial direction of the adversary using array processing techniques. This work analyzes the design of signaling constellations, i.e. modulation formats, to combat eavesdroppers from correctly decoding transmitted messages. It has been shown that in certain channel models the ability of an adversary to decode the transmitted messages can be degraded by a clever signaling constellation based on lattice theory. This work attempts to optimize certain lattice parameters in order to maximize the security of the data transmission. These techniques are of interest because they are orthogonal to, and can be used in conjunction with, traditional security techniques to create a more secure communication channel.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Search for New Physics in the Exclusive Delayed γ+E (t) Final State in pp Collisions at √(S) = 1.96 TeV

This dissertation presents a search for heavy, long-lived, neutral particles that decay to photons in proton anti-proton collisions with a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) experiment. Such particles are typical of models of Gauge Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking (GMSB). We select events with a single photon, missing transverse energy, and little other activity in the detector. We model the photon arrival time for Standard Model and non-collision sources using a data-driven method and consider photons which have a time of arrival at the detector which is significantly delayed relative to predictions. Using 6.3 fb -1 of data collected from December 2004 to June 2010, we observe 322 events in the signal region compared to a background prediction of 287 ± 24 events. While the data are consistently above predictions, we report a model excess with a significance of 1.2 standard deviations from the null hypothesis.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Search for New Physics in the Exclusive $\gamma_{Delayed}$ + Missing Transverse Energy Channel in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 1.96 TeV

This dissertation presents the results of a search in the exclusive photon plus missing transverse energy ( γ + E T ) finnal state in proton antiproton collisions at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV using the Collider Detector at Fermilab experiment. The strategy used here is to search for delayed photons coming from gauge mediated supersymmetric events with the exclusive production of X ~0 1 → γG ~ . In these models the ~ 01 is the lightest neutralino and has nanosecond lifetime before decaying to a photon ( γ) and gravitino ( ~ G) which exits the detector unrecorded. In order to search for this process we select collisions that have a single photon plus missing transverse energy and little other activity in the detector and examine the arrival time of the photon. This arrival time is then compared against expectations from a data driven background of the standard model sources. In the data collected from the Fermilab Tevatron collider from December 2004 to June 2010, representing 6.3 fb -1 of data, we observe 322 events in the photon arrival timing region from 2 nanoseconds to 7 nanoseconds with a data driven background prediction of 257 ± 35. An excess of 65 events is observed, equivalent to a standard deviation (N σ ) of 1.65 from the null hypothesis.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Searches for neutrino oscillations in the MiniBooNE experiment: neutrino and antineutrino occurrence analysis of the electron; Búsquedas de oscilaciones de neutrinos en el experimento MiniBooNE: análisis de aparición de neutrinos y antineutrinos del electrón

In this work we implemented the electron neutrino and antineutrino appearance oscillation analyses of the MiniBooNE experiment using the data publicly released by the Collaboration. The calculations were made with algorithms in C++ as well as in graphic processors using CUDA. We performed the analyses corresponding to the publications of 2007 and 2009 in neutrino mode, 2010 in antineutrino mode, and 2013 in neutrino and antineutrino modes, and constructed the confidence intervals in the oscillations parameter space for each case. The contours calculated in this work are indistinguishable from those reported by the MiniBooNE Collaboration when the frequentist corrections of Feldman and Cousins are not taken into account. After implementing these corrections small differences with respect to the official contours appear in the low signal regions, which are ascribed to the fake experiment generation method employed here, and that require further investigation. The best fit probabilities and null point, as the observed event excesses show small variations with respect to those reported in the publications, arising from a difference in the definition of the signal region employed here and forced by the format of the released data, and are consistent within errors. This work was carried out independently to the MiniBooNE Collaboration, and its results are not official. Antes que nada quiero agradecer a mi asesor el Dr. Alexis Aguilar Arévalo, con quien he estado trabajando desde mi servicio social, hace varios años ya. Con él he aprendido una gran variedad de temas: mis primeros programas serios fueron con su guía; principalmente de él adapté mi estilo de redacción de código, me enseñó más física experimental y estadística que lo que aprendí en toda la carrera; formando en mi lo que significa ser un buen experimentalista, mi perspectiva de la física de partículas elementales no podría ser tan amplia como lo es si no fuera por él; enseñándome la historia de los descubrimientos, así como las técnicas experimentales para hacerlos y la teoría que los explica. Mucho trabajo me costó, pero el conocimiento tan amplio que tengo sobre los neutrinos, experimental y teórico, se debe a la enorme paciencia de mi asesor. Mucho le agradezco haberme mandado a Fermilab, en donde fui parte de un activo y amable grupo de trabajo, en donde aprendí una forma distinta de hacer ciencia: mucho más colaborativa. Le agradezco su perfeccionismo y apoyo constante en todos estos años, sin los cuales no hubiera logrado enorgullecerme de esta tesis tanto como lo estoy ahora. Para mi es un rol a seguir, mostrándome la clase de físico en que me quiero convertir. Sobre todo le agradezco su amistad, gracias Alexis.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Research in Neutrino Physics

We describe here the recent activities of our two groups over the first year of this award (effectively November 2010 through January 2012) and our proposed activities and associated budgets for the coming grant year. Both of our groups are collaborating on the Double Chooz reactor neutrino experiment and are playing major roles in calibration and analysis. A major milestone was reached recently: the collaboration obtained the first result on the search for θ 13 based on 100 days of data from the far detector. Our data indicates that θ 13 is not zero; specifically the best fit of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis to our data gives sin 2 (2θ 13 ) = 0.086 ± 0.041 (stat) ± 0.030 (syst). The null oscillation hypothesis is excluded at the 94.6% C.L. This result has been submitted to Physical Review Letters. As we continue to take data with the far detector in the coming year, in parallel with completing the construction of the near lab and installing the near detector, we expect the precision of our measurement to improve as we gather significantly more statistics, gain better control of backgrounds through use of partial power data and improved event selection, and better understand the detector energy scale and detection efficiency from calibration data. With both detectors taking data starting in the second half of 2013, we expect to further drive down the uncertainty on our measurement of sin 2 (2θ 13 ) to less than 0.02. Stancu’s group is also collaborating on the MiniBooNE experiment. Data taking is scheduled to continue through April, by which time 1.18 × 10 21 POT is projected. The UA group is playing a leading role in the measurement of antineutrino cross sections, which should be the subject of a publication later this year as well as of Ranjan Dharmapalan’s Ph.D. thesis, which he is expected to defend by the end of this year. It is time to begin working on projects which will eventually succeed Double Chooz and MiniBooNE as the main foci of our efforts. The Stancu group plans to become re–involved in LBNE and possibly also to join NO A, and the Busenitz group has begun to explore joining a direct dark matter search.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

RELAP5-3D Resolution of Known Restart/Backup Issues

The state-of-the-art nuclear reactor system safety analysis computer program developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), RELAP5-3D, continues to adapt to changes in computer hardware and software and to develop to meet the ever-expanding needs of the nuclear industry. To continue at the forefront, code testing must evolve with both code and industry developments, and it must work correctly. To best ensure this, the processes of Software Verification and Validation (V&V) are applied. Verification compares coding against its documented algorithms and equations and compares its calculations against analytical solutions and the method of manufactured solutions. A form of this, sequential verification, checks code specifications against coding only when originally written then applies regression testing which compares code calculations between consecutive updates or versions on a set of test cases to check that the performance does not change. A sequential verification testing system was specially constructed for RELAP5-3D to both detect errors with extreme accuracy and cover all nuclear-plant-relevant code features. Detection is provided through a “verification file” that records double precision sums of key variables. Coverage is provided by a test suite of input decks that exercise code features and capabilities necessary to model a nuclear power plant. A matrix of test features and short-running cases that exercise them is presented. This testing system is used to test base cases (called null testing) as well as restart and backup cases. It can test RELAP5-3D performance in both standalone and coupled (through PVM to other codes) runs. Application of verification testing revealed numerous restart and backup issues in both standalone and couple modes. This document reports the resolution of these issues.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗